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In partnership with Lexington Police Department and Park North Apartments, Serve & Connect was honored to be a part of the Back-to-School Block Party on August 12 in Lexington. As part of the Summer of Healing tour by Heal America, the event not only provided back-to-school resources and free health screenings to attendees, but also an opportunity for the community to engage with local law enforcement through conversations, music, games and food. Radius Church and Sansbury Eye Center showed up for our community by donating school supplies and offering free vision exams. Because of their generosity, children in need will receive free glasses and have everything they need for a successful school year. Thank you to all of our key partners and vendors for making this event come to life! We truly are better together.

READ MEDIA COVERAGE: Back-to-School Block Party – A Summer of Healing Event

Serve & Connect was honored to partner with the City of Charleston Police Department by taking part in the National Night Out event on August 2 at Phillip Simmons Park in Charleston. National Night Out is one of several events taking place across the state to build camaraderie between communities and law enforcement and the Charleston event was part of Heal America’s ‘Summer of Healing’ initiative. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Attendees enjoyed music, food, games, bounce houses and more. The Charleston National Night Out event was a huge success thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Charleston Police Department and the partnership with the Eastside community.

READ MEDIA COVERAGE: Charleston Police to celebrate National Night Out Tuesday, Lowcountry police departments participate in National Night Out

On July 21st, we were proud to join our partners from the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to pack 300 boxes of Greg’s Groceries for communities across South Carolina.

“There are folks out there who are hurting and hungry and when law enforcement can step in and meet the need, it means the world.” said Pastor Belton, Zion Baptist Church, Winnsboro, SC.

The event celebrated SLED’s Community Relations team which was established to to assist all South Carolina Agencies with community engagement and establishing trust. Through the Community Relations Division, SLED agents utilize Greg’s Groceries boxes as a tool for outreach.

“SLED is honored to partner with Serve & Connect in a continued effort to support community policing in South Carolina. Our Community Relations agents are integrated in communities across the state to provide support to local agencies and the communities they serve. Serve & Connect provides the necessary tools, especially Greg’s Groceries, to assist our efforts in bringing the community and police together,” shared SLED Chief Mark Keel.

The City of Florence Police Department and Mullins Police Department were in attendance packing boxes to take back to their communities to distribute to citizens in need. Their participation in Greg’s Groceries is a direct example of the impact of SLED’s outreach through the Community Relations Division.

The event was sponsored by Thompson Funeral Homes and Publix. Our Greg’s Groceries program is also made possible thanks to Walmart, South Carolina Bar Foundation, FirstNet and AT&T.

Thank you to our media friends for covering the event!

• ABC Columbia: SLED partners with other agencies to help people facing food insecurity

• The State: South Carolina law enforcement rallies to pack groceries for the hungry

Serve & Connect was honored to partner with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety and the City of Orangeburg in the nationwide Heal America movement, Summer of Healing, by hosting a block party on July 29 on Tucker Park Street. This block party was hosted as a part of the Orangeburg R.O.S.E., a community-based movement focused on creating a community where youth can thrive. Working together with our partners, the Orangeburg R.O.S.E. is working toward a common goal of infusing resources, building relationships and lifting up local leaders and their vision for positive change. The event gave the community an opportunity to connect with local law enforcement from Orangeburg Department of Public Safety and build community camaraderie. Attendees enjoyed music, food, games, and more. A huge thank you to Mayor Butler, Chief Austin, Councilwoman Knotts, Councilman Haire and City Manager Sidney Evering for joining the event!

READ MEDIA COVERAGE:
Orangeburg Department of Public Safety holding summer block party; agency building relationships (The Times and Democrat, July 26, 2022)

On July 23, 2022, Serve & Connect enjoyed an amazing community-wide event with nearly a dozen community partners. Everyone came out to the Summer of Healing block party to enjoy an opportunity to meet local law enforcement officers and first responders and build community camaraderie. All of our partners in Richland County did an incredible job hosting the event. A big thank you to everyone who came out and helped make the 2022 Richland County Summer of Healing event a huge success, especially Petersen Presbyterian Church who welcomed the event at their church. We accomplish so much when we work together. Our partnerships make our community stronger and for that we are grateful.

Some highlights among many from the event included:

• Forest Lake Presbyterian led the yard games including cornhole and giant Jenga. Children also enjoyed an arts and crafts station which included kindness rocks.

• South Carolina Department of Natural Resources were masters on the grill and cooked hot dogs for the community to enjoy.

• Be Beep sponsored glitter tattoos that all the children loved.

• Baskin Robbins gave away free scoops of ice cream for a cool treat on a hot summer day.

• Richland County Recreation Commission sponsored a bounce house and basketball.

• Forest Acres Police Department led officer games and bingo which were a big hit.

• Richland County Sheriffs Department brought their DARE car and the kids thought that was super cool.

• Columbia Fire Department brought out their truck and put the giant ladder out!

• Richland Two School District assisted with games and we were all impressed how many principals and educators came out.

“This was exactly what we all needed. I look forward to more events.”

-Chief Robinson | Forest Acres Police Department

Event partners included:

• Heal America

• Forest Acres Police Department

• Forest Lake Presbyterian Church

• Richland County Sheriff’s Department

• South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

• Columbia Fire Department

• South Carolina Department of Mental Health

• PASOs

• LRADAC

• Baskin-Robbins

• Richland County Recreation Commission

• Richland School District Two

More than 120 community members attended the event.

“We had a blast! The block party gave us an excuse and a safe way to meet neighbors that we do not know and to give freely (without a desired outcome).” – Event attendee

“The block party happened only about a mile from my house, but the experience helped connect me to neighborhoods that are vastly different from my own, and to meet neighbors that I would not normally meet. The block party was only a mile from my house, but many, many, many miles removed from my experience of life.” – Event attendee

“The block party gave me hope. Seeing our police partners engage children in games, crafts, and just plain fun feels good and right. Seeing our congregation’s members leave the security of our church property to meet our neighbors where they live also feels right and good. The Church is called to go into the world to be good news, but most of the time we spend our energy trying to get people to come to us and be like us. This felt like real church.” – Rev. Dr. Ellen Skidmore, Forest Lake Presbyterian Church

Columbia, SC – Serve & Connect, a Columbia-based nonprofit focusing on strengthening relationships between police and community is taking part in the nationwide Heal America movement. Serve & Connect is one of 43 organizations from across the country selected to be a partner of Heal America’s summer-long initiative called “Summer of Healing.” Summer of Healing was created by Heal America to fight racial injustice with love and redemption. South Carolina is one of 12 states hosting events as part of the initiative.

“We are so proud of our police and community partners in South Carolina,” says Kassy Alia-Ray, CEO and founder of Serve & Connect. “They are incredibly committed to bridging divides in communities across our state.”

“Serve & Connect is proud to amplify their important work by uniting with Heal America. It’s an honor to be a part of a movement that brings about racial reconciliation and to help our country heal. Having the support of our friends at Heal America allows us to do more than we could ever do on our own.”

Summer of Healing builds upon the momentum of The Heal America Tour, a series of local events across the country that bring together people of different backgrounds and perspectives to fight racial injustice. Serve & Connect is hosting a series of events over the next several weeks in communities throughout South Carolina, including Charleston, Columbia-metro area, Lexington and Orangeburg.

The events are free and open to the public and will bring tools, resources and citizens together as a racial justice movement that supports bridges built between communities and law enforcement. A list of events throughout the rest of the summer can be found on Serve & Connect’s website.

The next South Carolina community event of the 2022 Summer of Healing will be held in the Woodfield Park community in Columbia at Petersen Presbyterian Church on July 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Community partners, along with Serve & Connect’s team, who are helping host the event include Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Forest Lake Presbyterian Church, Petersen Presbyterian Church, Richland Two School District, Richland County Recreation Commission, Be Beep Toy Store, LRADAC, PASOs, Forest Acres Police Department, and more.

Antong Lucky, co-chair of Heal America said the following in a release issued last week.

“We cannot change the injustices of history – they will always echo from the past – but we can move forward with the startling promise of human progress and connection, and that’s what the Summer of Healing is all about. We are eager to work with these terrific organizations to bring healing to their hometowns and the nation.”

The Stand Together Foundation, a national foundation that cultivates collaboration among high-performing nonprofits to bring about community-based solutions that address social issues, introduced Serve & Connect to Heal America and encouraged them to apply to be a part of Heal America and the Summer of Healing initiative. Serve & Connect was originally connected with Stand Together last year when it was selected to participate in Stand Together’s Catalyst program, a cohort-modeled curriculum that supports social entrepreneurs driving transformation within communities.

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ABOUT SERVE & CONNECT

Serve & Connect is a SC-based nonprofit that works directly with law enforcement, community stakeholders, and citizen leaders to create police and community partnerships that bring about positive change and promotes safe, happy and resilient communities. For more information, follow Serve & Connect on social media at Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @serveandconnect.

ABOUT HEAL AMERICA

Heal America is a movement to advance racial justice through empowerment. Heal America does this by investing in the tools, resources, and capital needed by local and national changemakers who seek to eliminate injustice. Grown from a series of local events hosted by Urban Specialists, Stand Together Foundation has partnered to expand the Heal America movement to cities across the country. Heal America seeks to interrupt violence in local communities, strengthen relationships among communities and law enforcement, and address injustice through bottom-up change. To learn more visit healamericamovement.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter at @joinhealamerica.

We are proud and honored to partner with the Stand Together Foundation, and were excited to recently be featured on their blog. Check it out below to learn more about our movement. While you are there, learn more about the amazing things Stand Together is doing to drive change from the bottom-up.

• Serve & Connect feature on Stand Together Foundation’s Blog

Did you also know that our CEO and Founder Kassy recently presented as part of The Stands in Austin, TX? Watch below! Thank you again to Stand Together Foundation for amplifying our message that Together, We Are Better.

We are so thrilled to announce this summer’s Be Safe Block Party Series! The series is hosted as part of our Compass work through the North Columbia Youth Empowerment Initiative (NCYEI).

All summer long, the NCYEI is partnering with the City of Columbia, the Columbia Police Department, City of Columbia Parks & Recreation Department, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department to host its upcoming Be Safe Summer Series to host several block parties across the Columbia area from June to August. Event dates and locations are as follows:

• June 16- TS Martin,  2700 Edison St, Columbia, SC 29204

• June 30- Belmont Community, 1003 Colleton St, Columbia, SC 29203

• July 14- Pinehurst Park, 2300 Pinehurst Rd, Columbia, SC 29204

• July 21- Hyatt Park, 950 Jackson Ave, Columbia, SC 29203

• August 11- Katheryn M. Bellfield Cultural Arts Center – Grand Finale – 2611 Grant St, Columbia, SC 29203

The NCYEI-sponsored events are free and open to the public, with evening festivities held between four and six p.m. Guests are invited to come out and join fellow community members and local law enforcement in celebration of unity and their neighborhood through music, games and complimentary hot dogs and chips.

“Every opportunity we have to strengthen our bonds is one that calls for celebration,” shares Omari Fox, lead community organizer of Serve & Connect. “The Be Safe Summer Series is one way of bringing life to our North Columbia communities to inspire conversation, establish camaraderie and create shared memories that will unite our neighborhoods.”

As an extension of Serve & Connect, the NCYEI serves to continue our mission of collaboration and connectedness among groups already making a difference in the lives of North Columbia’s neighborhood children. The NCYEI was established in collaboration with the Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Serve & Connect and community leaders to foster police and community partnerships that empower the lives of neighborhood children and youth in the 29203-region. The initiative is funded by a Byrnes Criminal Justice Innovation grant from the Department of Justice.

 

We are excited to announce that Kim Dennis has joined the Serve & Connect team as our new Operations Manager.

Kim joins us with over 14 years of administrative managerial experience and human resources experience. She previously worked as the Manager of Administration for the Foundation Partners Group where she oversaw a wide range of activities related to accounting, administration, and operations. Kim brings her commitment to building strong, compassionate relationships with families, customers, partners, and staff with her to Serve & Connect.

The mission of Serve & Connect is personal to Kim – she is a member of a law enforcement family. Her husband, Courtney, retired from over 20 years in law enforcement in August of 2021 where he most recently served as the Chief of Police for the Town of Irmo. Additionally, Kim has volunteered with Serve & Connect since 2016, participating in events and outreach initiatives since the early days of the organization.

“We are so thrilled to have Kim join our team as our Operations Manager,” shared Serve & Connect Founder and CEO Kassy Alia Ray. “Kim’s background coupled with her passion for our mission make her an ideal fit for this position. She has already hit the ground running. I am so excited to see how we grow with her in this leadership role.”

On April 20, 2022, at Riverside Apartments in Columbia, De’Marion Corbett was shot and killed. He was just 16 years old. Our friends and partners at the Columbia Police Department reached out to us following the incident to request help in obtaining resources for members of the community, including children, who were impacted by this tragic incident.

Thank you, Jennifer Miller from Counseling Plus!

Thanks to the incredible support of several amazing partners, we were able to facilitate assistance in response. Working together, Macey, our Mental Health Program Manager, and Omari, our Lead Community Organizer, identified potential partners and coordinated a response intended to support community members.

Following the incident at Riverside Apartments, they worked with the manager of the apartment complex to more deeply understand the needs faced by residents. The maintenance manager, Aaron, expressed a major need for mental health resources and asked if it would be possible for someone to come speak to the children and adults about trauma and extend a helping hand. He stated that the community was struggling and he wanted to give them a space and opportunity to talk about their experiences, if they were ready.

Thank you, Flavia Sotelo, Linda Peña-Resto, and Aaliyah Simon from the Dickerson Children’s Advocacy Center!

Omari and Macey sprung into action. Omari supported residents in leading a balloon release in memory of De’Marion and Macey was able to work with partners involved in Uplift Lexington County to offer counseling and support. Uplift Lexington County is a movement dedicated to improving behavioral health through partnerships and empowerment that lead to healing and hope. Uplift Lexington County is guided by our Compass model and led by a Leadership Council involving key stakeholders, including Lexington Medical Center, Lexington County Department of Mental Health, LRADAC, Lexington County EMS, and Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Since launching in 2021, Uplift Lexington County has rallied 23 partners representing diverse stakeholder groups, including mental health service providers, law enforcement, first responders, healthcare and more.

Even though this incident did not happen in Lexington County, a community was hurting and needed support. Macey made a series of phone calls to trusted Uplift partners. Flavia Sotelo, Linda Peña-Resto, and Aaliyah Simon from the Dickerson Children’s Advocacy Center whose mission is to assist children and families who have experienced trauma were contacted. Jennifer Miller, from Counseling Plus who specializes in trauma and PTSD, along with her partner and co-counsel, Sarge, were contacted. Sarge is a PAALS facility support animal, he is trained in assisting in the emotional support and comfort of those in need. Additionally, Officer Dee Cochran, from the Lexington Police Department rushed in to show her support when she heard we would be there. They all did not hesitate to be there for Riverside Apartments and responded immediately, asking when and where they were needed.

Thank you, PFC Dee Cochran with Lexington Police Department!